Thursday 22 October 2009

Palm oil free toothpaste update

Colgate have replied to my letter, they say:

Thank you for contacting us with your question. Your interest in our Company and its products is greatly appreciated. We are happy to have the opportunity to assist you.

The Sodium Lauryl Sulfate used in our toothpastes is not palm oil derived.

Thank you for taking the time to contact us and for your interest in our Company and its products.

I realise now that my original letter, instead of asking whether the SLS was palm oil derived, should've asked whether any of the ingredients were palm oil derived - economy of truth is what big companies do best so I have written to them again asking for an unequivocal yes or no as to whether it contains palm oil/derivatives.

Notice how they have just ignored everything I said about the forest people being displaced in the country where they buy their palm oil.

When searching for other sources of palm oil free toothpaste, I came across Biome in Australia (where else?!) They have two toothpastes listed and I wrote to ask them if they were palm oil free and they have assured me that they are. They are:
  • Pure and Green Organics teeth and guns toothpaste - mint
  • Riddells Creek organic toothpaste
Since discovering the names of palm oil free toothpastes, it's easier to find UK suppliers, I have ordered some Riddells Creek organic Lemon toothpaste from My Pure. During the postal strike, you can have your parcel delivered by DHL and it only costs £3.00 per package which - confusingly - is less than a lot of companies charge by Royal Mail or Parcelforce (must have a special deal or be subsidising it).

I'll naturally report here what I think of it.

8 comments:

  1. have you ever heard back on your question " I have written to them again asking for an unequivocal yes or no as to whether it contains palm oil/derivatives".

    ReplyDelete
  2. Yes, I did, Colgate replied and I reported it here.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Did they already reply to your follow-up letter? Hmm... Some companies don't just easily give any information about their products. That kind of answer is already a relief for some people. But since you're not satisfied with that, they should give consideration to your next question! You're in their market anyway.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Sal, their reply is linked to in the comment above yours. Colgate say that palm oil isn't used in their toothpaste.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Wow, thats alot of euphemisms!! I am aiming to go palm-free less with all beauty products..not easy I imagine but shall check out that saynotopalmoil.com website! Thanks for this insightful blogging! Anyone recommend any good shampoo as a starting point? I use Aussie produce which am guessing is packed full of palm oil ingredients! Cheers and cheerio

    ReplyDelete
  6. According to info I received on my facebook site, listing products including palm oil, I notice that Colgate Toothpaste is amongst the products containing palm oil. I have therefore stopped buying Colgate. Can you tell me if Colgate will eventually stop using Palm Oil? I belong to a number of wildlife groups and we are all avoiding these products, in order to help the Orangutan conservation.

    ReplyDelete
  7. I have written to Colgate twice and the following statements were in their letters:

    Dated 21 September 2009
    "The Sodium Lauryl Sulfate used in our toothpastes is not [palm oil derived"

    When I asked for clarification as to whether any of the ingredients were palm oil, palm oil euphemisms or palm oil derived, I received the following response:

    Dated 29 October 2009
    "Colgate Toothpaste does not contain plam oil or any ingredients that hae been derived from it".
    I therefore use Colgate toothpaste.

    An earlier letter from them dated 5 August 2009 confirms that they do use palm oil in their Palmolive Shave Stick and in Palmolive Bar Soaps.

    ReplyDelete
  8. I had a terrible yellow oily substance in my tube of Colgate. Disgusting, now I am wondering if it is palm oil. Eeeww!

    ReplyDelete